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Penn basketball player charged with burglary in dorm

A freshman guard on Penn's men's basketball team has been tied to a string of eight burglaries at the university's renowned Quadrangle dorm.

A freshman guard on Penn's men's basketball team has been tied to one case in a string of eight recent burglaries at the university's renowned Quadrangle dorm.

According to the Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn's student newspaper, Tony Bagtas was arrested Monday night and charged in connection with one of the eight burglaries, all of which took place last Saturday. The native of Union City, Ga., faces felony charges of burglary and criminal trespassing, and misdemeanor charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.

Bagtas lives in Riepe College House, one of the three residences within the Quad complex. He has since been removed from the building, which stretches from 36th to 38th Streets along Spruce.

A court hearing has been scheduled for April 8.

Maureeen Rush, Penn's vice president for public safety, told the Daily Pennsylvanian that Bagtas' burglary and the seven others happened after students left their dorm room doors unlocked. Computers and cash were among the goods stolen.

Rush also told the student paper that Bagtas was apprehended after her department received "good information from a couple of witnesses."

"The suspect was brought in for an interview, [and] was arrested on one of the burglaries," she said.

Rush added that there is no evidence of the eight burglaries being connected, and that investigations into the other crimes are still ongoing.

Bagtas came to Penn, as a highly-touted point guard prospect. He played in 20 of the Quakers' 28 games this past season, mainly off the bench, and missed games during a two-week stretch in February due to illness.